Data are often stored as numerical representations organized in tabular form. Such data tables may be used for analyses, such as work flow analyses or for other applications, particularly in large-scale work environments. For example, in a telecommunications call center environment, data related to each operator, to each operator station, and to various call center functions may be stored in a central database and converted to data tables for analysis by call center operations managers. By analyzing the past behavior of individual operators exposed to different sets of circumstances, a manager may make predictions about future staffing requirements, for example. Although tabular organization of numerical data greatly enhances the comprehensibility of such data, large volumes of numerical data may still present analytical difficulties to managers or others attempting to employ such data for planning, reporting, or other purposes.
Data organized in tabular form may also be employed in various simulation functions. In a simulation application, data tables may provide the input data for a simulation and offer storage for data modified during a simulation. By manipulating the data stored in tables, a simulation operator may adjust the input data values used in a simulation. Again, however, the manipulation of large volumes of numerical data, even if it is organized in tabular form, may present a daunting task to a human operator that is attempting to initiate or adjust a simulation.
An apparatus and method that provide readily comprehensible representations of data for analysis and/or simulation would therefore be highly desirable